Humberto Guanche Garcell; Luis Gonzalez Alvarez; Anayka González Valdés; Katerine Cardenas Goulet; Gloria Fresneda Septiem; Francisco Gutierrez García
Abstract
Background: Hand hygiene plays a key role in the prevention of healthcare-associated infection in critical patients. Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate compliance with hand hygiene practices. Methods: An observational and descriptive study was carried out in a 35-bed medical-surgical critical ...
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Background: Hand hygiene plays a key role in the prevention of healthcare-associated infection in critical patients. Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate compliance with hand hygiene practices. Methods: An observational and descriptive study was carried out in a 35-bed medical-surgical critical care unit in La Habana (Cuba) from January 2017 to December 2018. The observational method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) was used. Results: Overall compliance was 34.2% (5516/16 125), with better compliance among physicians (39%) compared with nurses (31.4%) and ancillary staff (19.5%). Better compliance was observed after patient contact (65.7%) and after contact with patients’ surroundings (42.0%) in comparison with greater focus on patient safety as before patient contact (23.3%) and before an aseptic task (11.4%). Hand washing was performed more frequently than hand rubs. Conclusion: Compliance with hand hygiene practices is low and no improvement in compliance was observed during the study period. This practice is related to the high risk of transmission of healthcare-related infections in critical patients and requires quality improvement interventions.
Humberto Guanche Garcell; Ariadna Villanueva Arias; Cristobal A. Pancorbo Sandoval; Adam Bode Sado; Ramón Nonato Alfonso Serrano; Francisco Gutierrez García
Abstract
Background: Identifying risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) after appendectomies could be useful in focusing prevention programs. Objective: The current study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with SSI in a cohort of patients from a single center in Western Qatar. Methods: This ...
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Background: Identifying risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) after appendectomies could be useful in focusing prevention programs. Objective: The current study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with SSI in a cohort of patients from a single center in Western Qatar. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at The Cuban Hospital (Dukhan, Qatar) on patients who had undergone an appendectomy from January 2013 through September 2016. Data extracted from the patient files included demographics, comorbidities and toxic habits, surgery type, procedure duration, wound type, appendicitis-type, American Anesthesiology Score, body mass index, selected laboratory tests, and compliance with antibiotic prophylaxis. Results: The study variables, type of surgery performed, procedure duration, wound and appendicitis type, serum albumin, and timing of antibiotic prophylaxis, were found to be related to the occurrence of SSI in univariate analysis (P = 0.000). Logistic regression showed that open appendectomies (odds ratio [OR] = 22.90, 95% CI; 8.04-65.21), low serum albumin (OR = 0.92, 95% CI; 0.85-0.99), and improper timing of antibiotic prophylaxis (OR = 44.92, 95% CI; 3.39-594.91) were independently associated with the occurrence of SSI. Conclusion: Cases of complex appendicitis, open procedure, low serum albumin level, and improper timing of antibiotic prophylaxis constituted the risk factors for SSI in the setting of this study. The infection control program should focus on improving the quality of antibiotic prophylaxis and closely monitoring patients who undergo open surgical procedures.